Ultrasound imaging is commonly used in medical imaging modality field. Because of the improvement of the image resolution and image digitization and the advantages of the non-invasiveness, the ultrasound imaging has been widely used on the screening and diagnosis of tumors, such as thyroid tumor, by the doctors. Furthermore, the ultrasound imaging is useful for diagnosing the tumors and making the treatment planning.
The ultrasonic feature of echo texture can be used to evaluate the properties of the tumor. Traditionally, the echo texture of the tumor is identified and evaluated by the expert doctors based on their experience. However, slight variations in the texture distribution on the ultrasound image are difficult to be observed and identified by the expert doctor.
Since the personal and subjective experience of each doctor, there are differences in the diagnostic results from doctor to doctor for the same tumor sonography.
Therefore, a scientific and objective quantification method or system, which can precisely analyze the echo texture of the tumor on the ultrasound images, is needed in clinical practice. U.S. Ser. No. 12/693,253 discloses a quantification method and an imaging method capable of quantifying the sonographic features, e.g., margin, cyst, calcification, echogenicity, and heterogeneity, and imaging these sonographic features on the ultrasound images.
The present invention is an extension method and system based on U.S. Ser. No. 12/693,253 to quantify and visualize an echo texture feature (indicating the heterogeneous feature described in U.S. Ser. No. 12/693,253) on the ultrasound image. Furthermore, comparing with the prior art, the present invention would be more powerful and accurate to assist the doctor to make a reliable diagnosis.